Letter-file



G. A. BAKER. LETTER FILE.

(No Model.)

Patented May3, 1892.

M d hr liwiwr 5 5%; 1 @a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. BAKER, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,280, dated May. 3, 1892.

Application filed December 10, 1891. Serial No. 4l4, 0- 11105813 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. BAKER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter- Files, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in letterfiles, and though I have shown it in connection with the ordinary form of box-receptacle I do not limit myself in this connection, as it may be used in other situations with equally good effect.

The invention includes a simple device for holding in position the alphabetically arranged sheets between which the letters are to be inserted, this device being capable of removal from the receptacle in which it is placed, so as to permit it and its contents to be filed away when it has become filled with letters. Instead of being used in connection with the series of sheets between which letters may be inserted, it may be used in connection with memorandurntablets or ledger-sheets or anything of like character where it is desired to provide a temporary hinder or holder which may be removed from its temporary position and filed away with the leaves or letters confined thereby without requiring any rearrangement of said leaves or letters.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown the invention applied to a letter-file.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the file with the upperhinged leaf open. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the holding-wire in the form of a rectangle, this view showing, also, the spring for holding the upper side of the rectangle in place and a groove in the bottom of the box for holding the lower edge of the rectangle. Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the means for releasing the upper edge of the wire from its holding-spring.

In the drawings, A represents the letter box or file, which is in the ordinary form of an imitation book with its upper cover hinged to open outwardly and with a hinged frontpiece 011 its edge. A series of leaves with letter-tabs properly arranged are shown at a, it being understood that these leaves are representative of anything which may be held by my improved holding device. These leaves are perforated on their back edges, as shown at b, and the leaves are held together by a wire frame in the form of a rectangle, the vertical parts of which pass through the perforations and serve to support the leaves. In the bottom of the case or box a groove is formed, as at c, of a length equal to or slightly exceeding the length of the frame D, which is preferably formed of wire. The lower side of the frame fits into this groove, which is of a depth equal to about the diameter of the wire of the frame, so that it is below or flush with the surface. The groove may be protected from enlargement by abrasion by a metal strip attached to the bottom of the box surrounding the groove, as at cl, this strip having an opening corresponding to the groove.

In order to hold the upper horizontal part of the frame, Ihave provided a spring O,which may be of ordinary clock-spring metal or of any suitable material, and this is preferably attached, as shown, at one end to the rear wall of the box, its free end extending upwardly and toward the front being curved, its extreme front end being formed into a hook which bears against the under face of the top piece a, and this hook f engages with the upper horizontal part of the frame B and holds it in position. Thus I provide two vertical standards, which allow the leaves of the binder to move freely up and down and at the same time the whole may be easily removed and filed away, so as to permit the receptacle or box to be used again and again for the accumulation of letters or the like.

It will be seen that the lower part of the frame is held in the groove in the box, while the upper part is held by the hooked end of the spring, and it is only necessary to release the upper horizontal portion from the hook of the spring in order to permit the frame and papers held thereby to be removed. This release can be effected by inserting the hand beneath the fixed part of the cover; but this is not practicable when the box is filled. So I have formed an opening through the fixed part of the cover, as at E, which is directly in line with the holding-spring, and by inserting the end of a pencil or anything pointed into this opening the point comes in contact with the spring and a slight pressure downward will release the Wire frame from contact therewith, which will permit the frame and the con tents to be removed together and filed away.

The rectangular frame, as before stated, is formed of wire. The ends of this wire after being passed through the openings in the leaves is brought together, so as to abut as shown at 25. This frame, having the upper and lower long sides between the vertical positions passing through the leaves, forms a permanent means of holding the leaves together, and this permits the leaves being taken out without danger of any of them falling away from the others. This is desirable in handling the leaves, and when the spaces between the leaves have become filled with lettel-s the whole series of leaves may be removed from the case and filed away, the wire frame serving to bind them together permanently and a new series of leaves can often be placed in the boX.

I claim as my invention* 1. In combination with the box, a series of 1eaves,awire frame having vertical sides passing through the series of leaves, and horizontal sides extending along the upper and lower sides of said series between the vertical sides to bind them together, the means for holding the upper part of said frame removably to the casing, and the groove extending across the box to receive the lower part of the frame, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the box, the series of leaves, the rectangular frame binding said leaves together, the groove extending across the box for receiving the lower side of the said frame, and the catch acting upwardly within the box for engaging the under side of the upper part of the frame, the said box having an opening through its upper side above the spring-catch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses GEORGE A. BAKER.

tVitnesses:

J ASPER E. LEWIS, A. S. DUNBAR. 

